USA > New York > Chautauqua County > Gazetteer and business directory of Chautauqua County, N.Y., for 1873-4 > Part 21
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HOYT BROTHERS! DAGtors for Custom and Ready Made Clothing, Jamestown, N. Y.
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1821 .* A part of Ellery was annexed Dec. 11, 1850. It is an interior town, lving a little north of the center of the county, and contains 28,860 acres. The surface is a rolling and hilly upland. Bear and Cassadaga lakes, two small bodies of water lying upon the north border, give rise to the creeks of the same name, which unite near the south-east border and are the only considerable streams in the town. The soil is a clay loam upou the hills and a sandy loam in the valleys.
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The Dunkirk, Allegheny Valley & Pittsburgh R. R. passes along the east border of the town.
The population of the town in 1870 was 1,639, of whom 1,556 were native, 83, foreign and all, except two, white.
During the year ending Sept. 30, 1872, the town contained ten school districts and employed eleven teachers. The number of children of school age was 507; the number attending school, 423 ; the average attendance, 243; the amount ex- pended for school purposes, $3,646.39; and the value of the school houses and sites, $12,800.
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DELANTI, (Stockton p. o.) situated on Bear Creek. a little north-east of the center of the town, contains four churches, (Baptist, M. E., Christian and Universalist, in the two former of which services are held regularly, and in the latter two only occasionally,) a school house, hotel, four stores, a carriage shop, three blacksmith shops, two shoe shops, cabinet shop, tin shop, grist mill, steam saw mill, and had, in 1870, 245 in- habitants.
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CASSADAGA, (p. v.) situated at the foot of Cassadaga Lake, in the north-east corner of the town, contains one church, two hotels, three stores, one carriage and three blacksmith shops, a shoe shop. a pump factory, a manufactory of churns and butter tubs and firkins, and had in 1870, 225 inhabitants. It is one mile east of the station on the D. A. V. & P. R. R.
SOUTH STOCKTON, (p. o.) situated on Cassadaga Creek, in the south-east corner of the town, contains a store, saw mill, lath and shingle mill, grist mill, a manufactory of churns and but-
acquainted with many distinguished men. He was a Delegate to the Continental Congress in 1776 and ", and signed the Declaration of Independence. In the autumn of 1:76. while returning from an official visit to the Northern army, he was made prisoner and treated with much cruelty. His constitution became shattered before bis release, and sinking gradually, he died Feb. 28, 1781. His son, bearing his name, & grandson and great grandson succeeded him as member of the Federal Congress.
* The first town meeting was opened at the house of Abri Thompso ., April 3. 1821. and adjourned to the school house near D. Nelson's, where Calvin Warren was elvotodagerrizar; John Curtis, Torn Clerk; Ebenezer Smith. Jr. Hirem Lazell and John Taler. Ademora; John Newbre and Joseph Sacket, Overseers of the Pour : David Sacket, Salmon Tyler and Levi C. Miller, Commissioners of Highways; Hiram Lazell. Ciale and Collector; Newel Putnam, Constable; Ebenezer Tyler, Calvin Smith and Lewis (. Todd, Commissioners of Schools.
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er tubs and firkins, a blacksmith shop, shoe shop, cider mill and a planing and matching machine.
Mooss, (p. o.) near the east line, a little south of the center, is a station on the D. A. V. & P. R. R.
OREGON isa hamlet in the south part. The postoffice which was established here in 1820 has been discontinued. It was the first postoffice in the town, and Ebenezer Tyler was the first postmaster.
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Settlement was commenced in the south part of the town in 1-10, by Shadrach Scofield, David Waterbury and Henry Walker, from Saratoga county. Anson Lett, Dexter Barnes and Jonathan Bugbee came in 1811. Lett was from Herkimer county, and during his residence here filled many town offices. His widow is still living at the age of 93 years. Barnes came from Little Falls, Herkimer county, and opened a blacksmith shop. In 1824 he removed to Hartfield in the town of Chau- 'auqua, where be rebuilt the mills, and was extensively engaged in business until his death, March 11, 1860, nearly 69 years old. Bugbee was born in Woodstock, Conn., May 11, 1789. In the -pring of 1808 he removed with his father to Madison county, in this State, and the next year to this town. At Bemus Point he made the acquaintance of Amos Adkins, a young surveyor, who with a pocket compass piloted him to lot 32, in the south part of the town, which Adkins had marked in his field notes as being superior in many respects to any of the adjoining lands. In a few weeks Mr. Bugbee returned to Madison county, stop- ping on the way at the land office in Batavia to have 305 acres of this lot booked to him at &2.50 per acre. In the latter part of February, 1811, he again came in company with his father and mother and two brothers-Wyman and Simcon. Their household goods were conveyed on two long, heavy sleds, drawn by two yokes of oxen. They arrived at Cassadaga Creek, oppo- site the residence of Wm. Barrows, but were unable to cross. as the creek was swelled by the melting snow. Mr. Barrows saw their dilemma and came with his canoe to their assistance. The teams swam the creek, and the goods were taken over the next day. Says J. L. Bugbee in an article contributed to the Chautauqua Democrat of March 12, 1873 :
"They had with them a large potash kettle and this was too heavy for the canoe, and after consultation, and expending all the philosophy with which they were possessed, they decided the kettle would swim and carry une of the men over. Wyman, the most daring of the comp my, volun- tend to go on board and paddle it across the creek. Soon the kettle, by the aid of chains, was safely lowered into the water and Wyman imme- date ly went sboard. This iron-clad swayed 'to-and-fro,' carcened, and :Le haichways all being open, this celebrated navigator was obliged to
HOYT BROTHERS! Headquarters for Custom & Ready Made Clothing JAMESTOWN, N. Y.
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abandon the ship and strike out for land without the aid of the small boats. After the water had subsided the kettle was raised from the bot- tom of the creek and made to do duty for many years, and bring money into the hands of its possessor, when black salts was almost the only com. modity, within the reach of the early settlers, that could be sold for cash."
The party, guided by Mr. Barrows, cut a road through the wilderness to admit the passage of their teams, a distance of three miles from the latter's cabin. The spring of 1811 was a remarkably early one, and the oxen were enabled to subsist mostly upon the herbage which grew with wonderful vigor and profusion. Soon a log cabin was erected, and the family in- stalled in it. Early in 1812, Nathan Bugbee, the oldest brother of Jonathan, joined them; and in the summer of 1813, two substantial log houses were built nearly opposite each other, upon either side of the road, into one of which Jonathan moved his family, while the other was occupied by his parents and youngest brother, Simeon. In the winter of the latter year. Wyman Bugbee married Milla Love and removed to the west part of lot 33. In 1815 he removed to the town of Ellington, as previously stated. (See page 118.) Nathan married in 1819, and also removed to Ellington about 1822. Late in life, Jona- than, by a series of reverses, became involved financially, and much of his property was sacrificed to adjust the claims of his creditors. He died Oct. 19, 1829 .* His widow is still living, aged 81 years.
* Wy quote the following somewhat remarkable incident from the article before alluded to. the writer of which attributes it to "a mirage, or some phosphorescent display, not fully understood by scientific researches of the present day.".
"In the latter part of October, 1828, Mr. Bugbee, [Jonathan] had obtained of Judge Peacock the privilege of making pine shingles on the Land Office land, on the grounds of the great . wolf-hunt', in the Cassadaga swamp. While at work alone at his shingles, on a rainy day. so peculiar in this season of the year, when light oud darkness seem contending for the mastery, he suddenly found himself surrounded by the darkness of night. His guide to the forks of the creek was the .blazed' trees of the wolf grounds: the distance to the creek was about one mile, when he would be able to reach bome with little difficulty. For a few minutes. however. ho found himself unable to trace the line of blazed trees, and he found he was lost in the dismal swamp. Feeling somewhat alarmed. he pressed forward amid the dreaching rain. encountering obstacles of various kinds at nearly every step. About 9 o'clock. as nearly as he could judge. be paused a moment to rest and quiet !! nerves, that he might be better prepared to settle his course and gain his home. Suddenly there sprung up around him a bright light apparently about forty feer square and extending twenty feet above his head. He declared that the lines of darkness were well defined, and that previous to this it was impossible to 'sre his hand before his face." He stood awhile to search out the cause of this wonderful phenomenon, then took his ax from his shoulder and read upon the head, 'Dexter Barnes,' the name of the maker. A few yards in advance was a blazed tree, which gave him renewed courage to make another trial to gain his home. Starting inte diately on the course indicated by the blaze on the tree, his light left him, and again he wandered in darkness, as he supposed, for an hour or more. Being greatly fatione ! be again made a pause, and in a moment the same light sprang up argus ! him. He was still upon the line of blazed trees, one of which was easily seen about twenty font distant from him. Mr. Bugbee was not considered a superstitious nuin. but he said he was willing to take this as an indication of providence that be was to be delivered unharmed, at his home again. With this quieting thought he sat down by the roots of a tree: the darkness closed around him and he soon fell asleep. frem which he did not awake until daylight, the next morning. After several efforts, Le
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At an early day in the settlement of the town a mound twelve to fifteen feet high and about three rods in diameter at the base, was discovered near Cassadaga Lake. When opened it was found to contain a mass of human bones. It was evi- dently of ancient origin, as when first discovered it was cov- ered with a growth of large forest trees. It is now nearly lev- eled by the plow and other denuding agencies.
The first birth was that of Wm. A. Walker, in the family of Henry Walker, April 25, 1811; the first marriage, that of John West and Martha Barnhart; and the first death, that of Mrs. Abigail Durfey, who taught the first school in a log school house near Shadrach Scofield's, in the summer of 1815. The first inn was kept by Ichabod Fisher, at Cassadaga, in 1811, and the first store by James Haywood, at Delanti, in 1817. The first grist mill was built on Bear Creek, at Delanti, in 1819, by Hines, Lazell & Nelson. The first framed house was built by Samuel Waterbury, in 1818.
The first religious services were held at the house of Jonathan Bugbee, in March, 1-14. by Rev. Joy Handy, from Fredonia; and the first religious society, the Chau- ingen Baptist Church-was organized in 1815.
The First Christian Church of Stockton was organized at Delanti with ten or twelve :' ers. in 1995, by Rev. Joseph Bailey, the first pastor. Their first church edifice a _~ erected in 1828: the present one, which will seat 150 persons, in 1512, at a cost of There are twenty members. under the pastoral care of Alden Allen. The ( burch property is valued at $2.500 .*
is tuga Baptist Church was organized with thirty-seven members. May 8, 1831. Tilbir house of worship was erected in 1835. at a cost of $1,900, and repaired in 1:69. It will seat 250 persons. The first pastor was Rev. Elisha Johnson; the present one i- Rev. A. Kingsbury. The Society numbers sixty-two members; its property is Value.I at $3.000.1
M. E. Church was organized with seven members, in 1938, by Rev. Www. the first pastor. The church edifice was erected in 1966, at a cost of $3.000, ''." prosent value of Church property, and will seat 400 persons. The Society con- Mots of thirty members and is under the ministrations of Rev. M. Smith.+
The M. E. Church, at Delanti, was organized with seventeen members by Rev. R. R. Rolnets. the first pastor, and the church ediflee, which will seat 400 persons, was fretedin 1-58, at a cost of $2,5%). The Society numbers fifty-seven. The pastor is R.v. M. Smith. The Church property is valued at $4,500.ยง .
TI - First Universalist Church of Stockton was organized with eleven members. Feb. 6. 1.5%. by Rev. Isaac George, the first pastor. The church edifice was erpeted in Isti, at a cost of $2.500. and will seat 800 persons. The Church is without a pastor no services are held only occasionally. The Church property is valued at $5.UN.
Zion Church. (United Brethren in Christ) at Pleasant Valley, was organized with Intetren members, in 199 by Rev. Joseph Hoyt, the first pastor. The house of worship will seat 200 persons, and was erected in 1471, at a cost of $3,000. There are t ... riy-six members, under the pastoral care of Rev. Joseph Miller. The Church Property is valued at $3,055.5
was able to arise, and was soon at home, to the great joy of the family who had been 1 .. . in suspense, whether he was lost in the woods, or had gone to the house of a friend, on the other side of the swamp."
" Information furnished by James Rolph.
+ Information furnished by Charles Phillips.
: Information furnished by J. L. Bughee.
s Inforination furnished by Philip Lazelle. Information furnished by E. L. MeCullough.
e, lafonnation furnished by John Webber.
HOYT BROTHERS! Headquarters for Custom & Ready Hade Clothing JAMESTOWN, -
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VILLENOVA.
VILLENOVA was formed from Hanover, Jan. 24, 1823. A part of Arkwright was taken off April 30, 1829. It lies upon the east border of the county, north of the center, and contains 21,971 acres. The surface is rolling in the south-east, and broken and hilly in the north and center. The highest sum- mit is 900 feet above Lake Erie. Mud Lake upon the west border, and East Mud Lake upon the north border, form the sources of two branches of Conewango Creek, which unite near the south-east corner, and are the principal streams. The soil is a clay and gravelly loam.
The population of the town in 1870 was 1,401. of whom 1,343 were native, 58 foreign, and all, except five, white.
During the year ending Sept. 30, 1872, the town contained twelve school districts and employed eleven teachers. The number of children of school age was 429; the number attending school, 371 ; the average attendance, 202 ; the amount expended for school purposes, 82,600.42; and the value of school houses and sites, $3,250.
HAMLET, (p. o.) situated on the west branch of Conewango Creek, south-west of the center, contains two churches, one hotel, four stores, two carriage and sleigh factories, four black- smith shops, a saw mill,* harness shop, cheese factory,f two shoe shops, and had, in 1870, a population of 155.
VILLENOVA (p. o.) is a hamlet lying south-east of the center of the town.
Settlement was commenced on lot 3, upon the east border, in May, 1810, by Daniel Whipple, a native of Massachusetts, who came with his wife and six children from Litchfield, Herkimer county. Arriving at Forestville he left his family there while he opened a road to the location of his farm, a distance of about eight miles, and built a log cabin, covered with bark and floored with split logs. Here he lived six weeks with no neighbor: bearer than six or eight miles. He was a shoemaker by trade
* Crowell's mill is operated by water, contains an upright saw, and cuts about 4.000 feet of lumber per day.
+ Rush's cheese factory is 136 feet long, with a curing room below of 96 feet, and one above the whole length of the building. The milk of 1,000 cows is used. Mi. Rush also owns a factory at Villenova, which is 00 feet in length, and uses the u.s. of 100 cows. E. JI. Sauderson & Son's crist and saw mills are located on the west branch of the Con wango, a little below hamlet. The crist mill was built in INCH, contains .B. ruins of stones, and its capacity is 200 bustels of grain per day. The saw mill Was busit in 1866, contains an upright saw and cuts about 2,wo feet of lumber per day. W. Chase's saw mill also situated on the west branch of the CoLawango, about two niles above Hamlet, isoperated by water, and its capacity is Ate feet of lumber per day. Fald's steam saw mill, in the same locality, has a capacity for sawing Www feet of lumber per day.
D. T. Wilcox's steam saw mill, located in the south-east part of the town, coutains a circular saw. It- capacity is about 6, 00 feet of lumber per day. Connected with it is a slangie and stave factory, which cuts about Isto shingles per day.
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and found it necessary occasionally to take his " kit" of tools to other settlements to earn a subsistence for his family. He lived on the farm he first located about thirty years, when he removed to Illinois, where he died at an advanced age. The next settler was John Kent, who came from the same place as Whipple and located near him on Conewango Creek. He erected the first saw mill in 1815, and attached a grist mill in 1818. He remained here about twenty-five years, when he re- moved to Gowanda, Cattaraugus county, where he died. Dur- ing the same year (1810) John Arnold, from Herkimer county, settled on the Conewango about one and one-half miles above Mr. Kent. He remained until the death of his wife in the spring of 1813, when, being a local preacher in the M. E. Church, and believing it to be his duty to preach the gospel, he returned east and devoted his life to the work of the ministry, joining the Genesee Conference. In December, 1810, Eli Ar- nold, brother of John, also from Herkimer county, and a local preacher of the same denomination for about sixty years, settled in the town and resided on the farm upon which he first located until his death, in his 85th year, in 1857. He was highly es- teemed for his exemplary Christian life. A Mr. Sweet settled here about this time, though but little is known of his history. Soon after Ezra Puffer moved into the town. He wasa man of considerable culture, a practical surveyor, and much attached to books. He was somewhat extensively engaged in surveying lands, laying out roads, &c. He was the first Justice in the settlement and drew most of the legal documents for the com- munity. Roderick Wells, another early settler, was noted for his piety and Christian zeal. Within four or five years from the first settlement Villeroy Balcom came in and built a dis- tillery and opened a tavern, which had their sequent influence upon the community. He was the first postmaster in the town, and held the office many years. He was also Justice of the Peace and Supervisor. Win. Pierce came in 1815, and is still living in the towu. Daniel Wright came a few years later and became a prominent man in the town. He kept a tavern for many years and was widely known. He was Supervisor, Justice of the Peace and Town Clerk at different times. He died at the age of 86 years. Augustine Wright moved into the town from Herkimer county and settled on lot 52 in 1817. and has since lived there. N. Warren moved in from Winfield, Herkimer county, in 1819, and settled upon the farm he now occupies. At that time he says there were but eight or nine families in the town, which was covered by a dense forest. Noah and Hiram Strong settled here in 1820, when there was but one framed house in the town. Win. J. Straight, from
HOYT BROTHERS! Headquarters for Custom & Ready Made Clothing Jamestown, 3, 1.
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Walworth, Wayne county, purchased the farm on which he now lives in 1822 and settled upon it in 1825. He was the first settler in that part of the town. He has raised a family of six boys and three girls, and is still living at the age of about 74 years, in the possession of mental and physical vigor. Eliza- beth Straight, his wife, (nee Chase) is a second cousin of the late Chief Justice Chase.
The first settlers were mostly poor and hence labored under many disadvantages. No mills were accessible to them, and they resorted to the practice common to the settlers of most new countries of grinding their corn by the aid of the mortar and pestle, which here, as elsewhere, consisted of a log or stump hollowed out at one end by burning, and a pestle or pounder suspended above this from a spring pole. Their horses and cattle were sometimes wintered entirely on browse.
The first birth in the town was that of Electa Whipple, now the widow of James Wright, May 5, 1812; and the first mar- riage that of James Matlit and Mary Dighton. The first school was taught by Mrs. Battles, in her own dwelling, near Wright's Corners, in 1815, and the first school-house was built soon after near Mr. Whipple's. Norris & Grover kept the first store, and Villeroy Balcom, the first inn, at Wright's Corners, in 1829.
The early settlers were nearly all professed Christians, and like the Puritans, they soon commenced to hold religious meetings in private houses, and generally at Mr. Whipple's. The first sermon was preached by Rev. Mr. Dunbara, of Nashville, a local preacher of the M. E. Church, and the first Church was formed by members of that denomination, in 1812.
The First Freeri'l Da: fiat Church of Viemora, at Hamlet, was organized with nis> members. in September. 1:28. by Rev. Amos C. Aurelius. The church edifice was created in 1839, at a cost of $3,000. It will seat 300 persons. The first pastor wit Rev. Thomas Grinel; the present one is Rev. Morton W. Spencer. The Society numbers 112 members; its property is valued at $4.000 .*
The Wesleyan Methodist Church was organized with twenty members, by Rev. Mr Sibley, the List pastor, in 19.5. The Society numbers sixty, and is under the spirit- nal tutelage of R.v. D. W. Bail. They have no church edifice, though the immediate building of one is contemplated.t
WESTFIELD was formed from Portland and Ripley, March 19, 1829. It lies upon Lake Erie, west of the center of the county, and contains 29,967 acres. A strip of rolling land of great fertility extends along the lake. In the central and southern portions the surface is billy. Chautauqua and Little Chautauqua creeks are the principal streams. The former forms a portion of the east boundary of the town and flows into the lake in the north-west corner of the village of Westfield. receiving the waters of the latter near the south line of that village. Numerous small streams flow into the lake, through
* Information furnished by Rev. M. W. Spencer, the pastor.
t Information furnished by S. A. Ball.
HOYT BROTHERS! Great Staple and Fancy Dry Goods House, Jamestown, N. Y.
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the north part. The soil is a clay and gravelly loam. Quarries of excellent flagging stone have been opened in the town, from which have been obtained slabs fifteen or twenty feet long and ten or twelve feet wide. The surface of this rock is rippled in large waves. From a quarry opened near Barcelona were taken large masses of clay loam mixed with angular and unworn portions of the harder portions of the rocks, closely impacted together, known as flat gravel. The mass was about five feet thick, and where the surface of the underlying rock was level, it was scratched and worn smooth, evidently from the materials having been moved along it. Numerous similar instances ap- pear in the bluffs of gravel along the lake, where the moving force seems to have torn up the surface layers, and pressed then ontward, and accumulating in power and quantity, to have lifted the strata for great distances, bending and breaking the uplifted edges, and leaving them in all manner of contortions. In some instances the gravel is forced under the uplifted edge of a stratum to the distance of many feet.
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The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern R. R. extends through the north part, adjacent to the lake shore.
The population of the town in 1870 was 3,645, of whom 2,855 were native, 760, foreign, 3,624, white and 21, colored.
During the year ending Sept. 30, 1872, the town contained thirteen school districts and employed twenty-six teachers. The number of children of school age was 1,205; the number attending school, 994; the average attendance, 535 ; the amount expended for school purposes, 819,340.42; and the value of school houses and sites, 859,325.
WESTFIELD (p. v.) (incorporated April 19, 1833,) is beautifully and eligibly situated on the shore of the lake, at the mouth of Chautauqua Creek, and on the L. S. & M. S. R. R. It is one of the most attractive villages in Western New York, and is ad- mitted to be unequaled for physical beauty by any other in the county. Its streets are handsomely shaded, and lighted by natural gas which was formerly used in lighting a lighthouse at Barcelona upon the shore of the lake. It contains six churches, (Baptist, Catholic, M. E., Presbyterian, Episcopal, and United Evangelical Protestant St. Peter's Church-Dutch,) a fine Union school,* capable of accommodating 1,000 pupils,
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